Refrigerator.



E. MITGHEL. REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1908.

Patented Dec.28,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. W. MITOHEL.

REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1908.

Patented Dec.28,1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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REFRIGERATOR.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28,

Application filed March 7, 1903. Serial N0. 4.11.9,702.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS \V. Mrror-InL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Beaumont, in the county ofJefferson and State of Texas, have invented new and usefulImprovementsin Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in refrigerators adapted forcommercial or domestic uses, and is particularly directed to aconstruction by which the interior of the refrigerator may be maintained'at a low temperature through the use of compara lively small quantitiesof ice or other refrigerating medium.

The main object of the present invention is the construction of arefrigerator ofdouble wall construction, each wall being nonconductiveand the walls being so connected as to permit an uninterrupted currentof air between the walls throughout the length and breadth of therefrigerator.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an individual icecompartment in the lower portion of the refrigerator in which the icemay be stored in a manner to cool the interior of the refrigerator andalso directly cool any article or articles placed in the icecompartment.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly tot-he accompanying drawings, in which2- Figure l is a view in front elevation of a refrigerator constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection through the same, a portion of the refrigerator being shown inelevation. Fig. "3 is a horizontal section on line- 3- 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a horizontal section on line =l-4: of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a brokenperspec tive of the central portion ofthe upper ice tray.

Referring particularly to the drawings, my improved refri eratorcomprises .a body 1, which may be 0t any size and is preferably formedto interiorly provide a lower or main compartment 9, a centralcompartment 3, and an upper compartment -51. The

{ larly adapted rear and side Walls of the refrigerator body are made upof spaced walls, as an inner wall 5 and an outer wall 6.

In the form of refri erator illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, w ichis more particufor commercial purposes, the excess width of the maincompartment 2 over the central and upper compartments provides aforwardly projecting ledge 1.2 on the top of the main compartment beyondthe forward wall of the upper and central com .rtrnents. In thecommercial type of refrigerator this ledge 12, which is, of course, ofsubstantial proportions, is recessed at 13 for the reception of a drippan 1 1, which is seated in the recess with its upper edge flush withthe top of the ledge. The main or lower compartment is provided with anice chamber formed by an outer wall 15 secured to the bottom of therefrigerator and extending vertically therefrom. Within the wall 15 arearranged inner walls 15, each of which projects vertically from thebottom of the refrigerator and is centrally rounded adjacent the mainwall 15, the side portions of each well 16 projecting from the roundedrear end toward the forward wall of the main compartment. Walls 16 arearranged side by side-within the space inclosed by the wall 15, and arespaced apart and from the wall 15 to provide ice spaces 17. The forwardwall of the main compartment is provided with doors 18 which communicatewith the space within the walls 16, and said space, may, if desired, beprovided with racks 19. The wall 15 is preferably zinc lined, while thewalls 16 are preferably entirely of thin sheet metal, thereby affordingcomparatively free conduction of the cold from the refrigerating mediumstored between the walls to the space within the walls 16. In the use ofthe commercial form of the refrigerator the receiving space includedwithin the walls 16 may be used for the retion of beer kegs, as 20, fromwhich a of any or inary construction and secured upon the forward Wallof the central compartment, a faucet 23 being connected to the pipe fordelivery of the material. in this arrangement of parts it is to be notedthat thefaucet overlies the drip pan 14, whereby any drippings from thefaucet or glass are caught and conveyed to any desired point ofdischarge. The forward wall of the central compartment is provided withdoors 24. pro viding access to such compartment, and within thecompartment may be arranged any desired form of article supporting rackscc .de ivory pipe 21 may extend to a pump 22 free circulation of "airthrough all the compartments within the refrigerator I have devised apeculiar form of tray in which the air circulation is provided for. Thistray,

which is more particularly seen in Figs. 3

and 5, is a rectangular bodyof less width and length than the similardimensions of the upper compartment. The tray, which is moreproperly aan, having side and end walls, is centrally ormed with a transverseventilator, by which the air striking the bottom portion of the tray maybe directed through the same and into close contact with the icesupported in the tray. This ventilator comprises an elongated casing 27in cluding spaced side walls 28- and top walls 29, the side walls beingsecured to the upper surface of the tray bottom and bridging an opening30 cut in said bottom commensurate with the space between the side walls28. Each of the walls 28 is formed with a series of openings 31, wherebythe air may pass through the opening in the bottom of the tray and outthrough the openings 31 in the side walls of the ventilator casing,being thereby directed into contact with the ice supported in the trayon the respective sides of the, casing. The upper compartment is formedin its front wall with openings having door closures 32.

The front wall ofthe compartments and the bottom of the refrigerator areformed of sections or layers 33, between which is secured a layer ofheat nonconductin material 34:. The air space formed in t e re- 7maining walls is not necessary in the front walls ofthe compartments,and hence the layers 33 and the interposed nonconducting layer aresecured together in close contact.

The bottom of the refrigerator underlying the ice storage space inthe-lower compartment is channeled at 35 to form rearwardly inclinedtroughs leading to a discharge pipe 36, whereby'the water and otherrefuse is discharged. from the body of the 'refrig-' erator. The doorsare also. of partially hollow constructiou to provide intervening airspaces, as shown at 37 in Fig. 7.

l A refrigerator constructed as described will be maintained coolthrough the use of a comparatively small quantity of ice due primarilyto a complete air circulation between the walls of the refrigerator. Bythis circulation there is maintained a uniform temperature for if oneside of the body should be exposed to more heat than another theinterior temperature will'not be afl'ected as readily as in otherrefrigerators as the air on the heat side will naturally start incirculation about the refrigerator and consequently reduce or equalizethe temperature of such air- Furthermore, the ice compartments onopposite sides of. the article com partment tend to a more effectivecooling of the refrigerator as the air entering the lower compartmentwill contact with the ice and be partially chilled, rising therefrom tocontact with the ice in the upper compartment and be suflicientlychilledto fall again to the lower compartment, the air being thus maintainedinconstant circulation in therefrigorator at both extremes of the pathof circulation. a

The material of the refrigerator is not important in the presentinvention, and I.

contemplate such. other structural changes and arrangements of parts asmay fall within the scope of the a pended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is v I 1. Arefrigerator having a rear wall, side walls, bottom wall, and a frontwall to form a compartment, the front wall being formed with a dooropening, the bottom wall being provided within the compartment with anupwardly extending wall arranged in spaced relation to the rear wall ofthe compartment,

the ends of said upwardly extending wall.

being secured. to the side walls of the com partment, and a wallarranged in spaced relationto and in advance of the upwardly extendingwall, the ends of said advanced wall. being secured to the front walladjacent the door openin 2. A refrigerator includin a compartmentinclosed by the walls 0 the refrigerator, one of said refrigerator Wallsbeing formed with means providing access to .thci

compartment, an ice chamber arranged within the compartment andincluding spaced walls, one of said walls bein arranged inspaced'relation to the rear wa of the compartment with its endsconnected tofthe side walls thereof, the other of said walls beingarranged" in advance of and in spaced relation to the first mentionedwall wlth its ends secured to the front wall of the compartment, thespace included within the latter wall. formin a provision chamber andthe space includ ed between the walls forming an ice chamber. I

3. A refrigerator'includin bottom, sides, front and rear walls to, incose a com artment, saidfront wall being formed with plurality ofopenings to provide access to ottom of the ran ed in spaced relation tothe rear wall of t 1e compartment with its ends secured to [the sidewalls thereof, the remaining walls being arranged in spacedirelation toeach other and in advance of the first mentioned it Well, said remainingwalls of dupliprovision chamber within each of said re-,

cate construction and extending verticall maining walls. I

- from the bottom of the compartment wit In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature their ends securedv respectively to thefront in presence oftwo witnesses.

5 wall adjacent the openings therein, whereby v ELIAS WALTER MITOHEL. toprovide an ice chamber between said re- Witnesses: v maming walls andbetween said walls and J. H. WILLIAMSON,

the first mentioned wall, and to provide a L. C. SCURLOOK.

